It was clear that George and Gwen held completely different views on the subject of Superman. Gwen represented the perspective of the common people—drug dealers and other criminal elements had either been eliminated by Luo Chen or rendered incapable of further wrongdoing. Some had even fled the area altogether.
After all, Luo Chen was rather lazy. So far, his efforts to uphold justice had been limited to the vicinity of his own neighborhood. He wasn't keen on traveling too far, especially before gaining the ability to fly. But now, with the knowledge that Tony Stark was on the verge of being kidnapped, he found himself constantly preoccupied with the thought, unable to focus on anything else.
Luo Chen's mindset was now quite similar to Tony Stark's in the past. He wasn't a bad person, but he also wasn't overflowing with altruism. However, he was willing to do good deeds within his capacity.
For Tony Stark, that meant donating money to charity. For Luo Chen, it meant acting as a local vigilante, ensuring justice within the range of his own home.
Luo Chen was still just an ordinary person, and before becoming Iron Man, Tony Stark had been the same. It was only a series of events and escalating crises that had pushed Stark step by step to the point where a mere human could stand shoulder to shoulder with gods.
And it wasn't just his combat ability that reached divine levels—it was his will as well.
In many ways, the Tony Stark before Iron Man and the Tony Stark after Iron Man were two completely different people.
Right now, Luo Chen was still in his pre-transformation stage. Sitting there, listening to George and Gwen debate, he couldn't help but feel a little awkward. After all, they were talking about him.
Gwen, like many common people, had long witnessed the corruption and deteriorating security of New York. It wasn't a new development—especially for those living outside the wealthy districts, where crime was a frequent occurrence.
But for Luo Chen, this level of crime was nothing surprising. In fact, things would only get worse in the coming years. Once certain ideological shifts took over and political correctness ran rampant, crime rates would skyrocket. At that point, robberies and shootings would become an everyday sight.
For an experienced officer like George Stacy, vigilantes like Superman were nothing more than self-righteous individuals who took the law into their own hands. In his view, they might start out as heroes, but without proper oversight, they could easily turn into criminals themselves.
People like George naturally despised vigilantes.
"It's not up to him to deliver justice through private punishment!" George said, his tone laced with disapproval.
"Luo, what do you think?" Gwen suddenly turned to Luo Chen.
Luo Chen was caught off guard. What does this have to do with me?
The answer? Absolutely nothing.
Still, after thinking for a moment, he responded, "Mr. George, what do you believe is the purpose of the law?"
"The law exists to protect innocent people," George replied firmly.
"That's right," Luo Chen nodded. "The law is meant to protect innocent people. But what happens when the law fails to do that? Should those people just wait to die?"
"Are you saying the law doesn't protect people?" George challenged.
"The United States is a capitalist society, Mr. George. Do you really believe that law enforcement resources are distributed equally among different neighborhoods? Do you think a poor community receives the same police protection as a wealthy one?" Luo Chen asked.
George immediately understood what he meant.
It was a well-known fact that in the U.S., police presence varied significantly depending on the affluence of the area. Wealthy communities donated large sums to law enforcement, ensuring better protection. Their police departments had the manpower, equipment, and response capabilities necessary to maintain order.
In contrast, poor neighborhoods often struggled with understaffed police stations and outdated equipment. Some areas, like Hell's Kitchen, had only a handful of officers to contend with thousands of criminals. In such cases, the police had little to no control over crime. They were often too scared to even enter these dangerous zones.
This was the reality of a capitalist society—only those with money could enjoy its resources.
Fire departments, for example, would sometimes check if a burning property had fire insurance before deciding whether to intervene. If the property was uninsured, they would often let it burn to the ground.
So, how could people living in poor neighborhoods rely on the police for protection?
This was precisely why vigilantes and superheroes had such a strong presence—they filled the gaps left by a flawed system.
"Now, what do you think is more important, Mr. George—the maintenance of law and order, or the safety of the people?" Luo Chen asked calmly.
George was silent.
"Exactly! That's the truth!" Gwen quickly chimed in, nodding enthusiastically.
Luo Chen glanced at her and saw that she was blushing slightly. He couldn't help but think that it was no surprise she later became Spider-Woman. Her ideals were strikingly similar to Peter Parker's.
"Alright, that's enough debating. Come in and eat!" Mrs. Stacy interrupted at just the right moment.
Luo Chen shrugged, following George and Gwen into the dining room for dinner.
After eating, he didn't linger. He thanked the Stacys for the meal and left.
Back home, Luo Chen reflected on the conversation between George and Gwen. Something about it stuck with him. Inspired, he opened his diary and began writing.
He never followed a specific plan when journaling—he simply wrote whatever was on his mind. It wasn't like anyone else would read it.
In fact, he even jotted down thoughts he wouldn't dare say out loud. If someone else ever got their hands on this diary, he'd be absolutely mortified.
Serious people don't keep diaries anyway.
[Diary Entry]
"I listened to the debate between George and Gwen today. It made me think—what does being a superhero really mean to ordinary people?
When I used to watch superhero movies in my past life, I only focused on the thrilling battles, the acts of heroism, and the fun of watching the heroes level up and defeat villains. But now that I'm actually in this world, I see things differently.
For common people, superheroes can be a blessing, saving them from danger and injustice. But at the same time, being caught in the crossfire of these battles isn't uncommon. How many people have suffered because of superheroes? How many lives were lost as collateral damage?
It's no wonder the Superhero Registration Act came into existence after the Age of Ultron.
After all, superheroes have saved the world multiple times—but how many of those crises were actually caused by superheroes in the first place?
These so-called heroes seem to attract trouble wherever they go. And yet... what's even more terrifying is that there are greater threats on the horizon—far worse than Thanos and his infamous snap…"
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